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Biomedical subjects

O O Erol

Publications and source records attributed to O O Erol.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

New modification in otoplasty: anterior approach.

After harvesting the conchal cartilage in a large series of secondary rhinoplasties using the anterior approach, there was a marked improvement in the shape of the auricle, with unnoticeable scarring hidden under the convolution of the antihelix. In this series of 250 cases, there were no hypertrophic scars or keloid formations. Based on these favorable results, a new modification of otoplasty was developed using only the anterior approach. Between 1992 and 2000, 108 otoplasties were performed on 55 patients to correct the prominent ear using only the anterior approach. All maneuvers used in modern otoplasty, such as conchal reduction, scaphal cartilage scoring and folding, placement of horizontal mattress buried sutures, conchal setback, and the positioning of the tail and upper pole, can be easily and effectively performed using only the anterior approach as described in this article. The use of an anterior approach does not disturb the neurovascular system of the ear because it is located on the ear's posterior side. Overall, patient and physician satisfaction has continued to be very high during the 8 years that this technique has been used. Some patients experienced a few minor complications, such as postoperative pain (16.3 percent), late suture reaction (1.8 percent), hidden helix (3.6 percent), and partial relapse (3.6 percent), that were easily corrected by the application of a Kaye-type buried suture and that were not directly related to the technique.

Ear Cartilage↗

Reconstruction of the superior labial sulcus in secondary bilateral cleft lip deformities: an inverted U-shaped flap.

A shallow buccal sulcus deformity following bilateral cleft lip repair is not rare. A variety of techniques are described for the secondary reconstruction of a deficient sulcus. Most of these are associated with a variable amount of contraction with subsequent obliteration of the sulcus. In this article, an inverted U-shaped flap is described for the secondary reconstruction of the deficient sublabial sulcus. In these patients, mobility of the upper lip was severely restricted, so orthodontic treatment was not possible. This technique was used in nine patients whose primary cleft lip repairs were performed in different institutions. The amount of re-adhesion or contraction was negligible, because a bare surface was not left behind and skin or mucosal grafts were not used. By advancing the lateral segments of the lip medially, projection of the upper lip was increased. The procedure resulted in adequate upper lip mobility for all patients, and sufficient sulcus was maintained during 1 to 6 years of follow-up. The patients experienced no difficulty with orthodontic appliances after this reconstruction.

Adolescent↗

The Turkish delight: a pliable graft for rhinoplasty.

In nose surgery, carved or crushed cartilage used as a graft has some disadvantages, chiefly that it may be perceptible through the nasal skin after tissue resolution is complete. To overcome these problems and to obtain a smoother surface, the authors initiated the use of Surgicel-wrapped diced cartilage. This innovative technique has been used by the authors on 2365 patients over the past 10 years: in 165 patients with traumatic nasal deformity, in 350 patients with postrhinoplasty deformity, and in 1850 patients during primary rhinoplasty. The highlights of the surgical procedure include harvested cartilage (septal, alar, conchal, and sometimes costal) cut in pieces of 0.5 to 1 mm using a no. 11 blade. The fine-textured cartilage mass is then wrapped in one layer of Surgicel and moistened with an antibiotic (rifamycin). The graft is then molded into a cylindrical form and inserted under the dorsal nasal skin. In the lateral wall and tip of the nose, some overcorrection is performed depending on the type of deformity. When the mucosal stitching is complete, this graft can be externally molded, like plasticine, under the dorsal skin. In cases of mild-to-moderate nasal depression, septal and conchal cartilages are used in the same manner to augment the nasal dorsum with consistently effective and durable results. In cases with more severe defects of the nose, costal cartilage is necessary to correct both the length of the nose and the projection of the columella. In patients with recurrent deviation of the nasal bridge, this technique provided a simple solution to the problem. After overexcision of the dorsal part of deviated septal cartilage and insertion of Surgicel-wrapped diced cartilage, a straight nose was obtained in all patients with no recurrence (follow-up of 1 to 10 years). The technique also proved to be highly effective in primary rhinoplasties to camouflage bone irregularities after hump removal in patients with thin nasal skin and/or in cases when excessive hump removal was performed. As a complication, in six patients early postoperative swelling was more than usual. In 16 patients, overcorrection was persistent owing to fibrosis, and in 11 patients resorption was excessive beyond the expected amount. A histologic evaluation was possible in 16 patients, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively, by removing thin slices of excess cartilage from the dorsum of the nose during touch-up surgery. This graft showed a mosaic-type alignment of graft cartilage with fibrous tissue connection among the fragments. In conclusion, this type of graft is very easy to apply, because a plasticine-like material is obtained that can be molded with the fingers, giving a smooth surface with desirable form and long-lasting results in all cases. The favorable results obtained by this technique have led the authors to use Surgicel-wrapped diced cartilage routinely in all types of rhinoplasty.

Cartilage↗

Facial autologous soft-tissue contouring by adjunction of tissue cocktail injection (micrograft and minigraft mixture of dermis, fascia, and fat).

Facial aging is both a physiologic and anatomic process characterized by changes in the skin and supporting tissues. The aging process produces an outer envelope that gradually expands while its contents gradually involute and the underlying structure weakens. This process results in an excess of skin that tends to create folds, grooves, and deepening furrows. Contour augmentation and filling depressions with autologous tissue or heterogeneous materials are widely used in face rejuvenation as an adjunctive procedure. There is unanimous agreement on the advantages of autogenous tissue grafts over alloplastic materials and heterogeneous transplants. It is also well known that the revascularization of a small graft (fat, dermis, and/or composite graft) is better than a large graft. For this reason, fat injections consisting of small particles have recently become popular. According to different authors, a graft take may vary from 30 to 50 percent. Nevertheless, it has been thoroughly documented that a graft consisting of dermis or fascia is superior to a fat graft in both the graft take rate and quality of the tissue. Strips of dermal graft have been used successfully for several years to fill lip contour and nasolabial folds. However, the main disadvantage of this technique is that utilization is restricted only to certain areas where there is a need for a small incision. To overcome this obstacle, the author developed a simple technique to obtain an injectable mass from a mixture of dermis, muscle strips, fat tissue, and fascia to use in body contouring (especially in the facial region) in large areas. The author describes the use of the technique in 450 patients. Follow-up in these patients from 6 months to 10 years showed that the application of the "tissue cocktail" procedure in select patients improved the author's results and created a marked increase in the number of satisfied patients with no complaints. The take and durability of this kind of graft were superior to the author's results using fat grafts. The tissue cocktail graft remained stable for several years, as effectively seen in the chin region. The sole complication from the procedure was some bruising, which was resolved in several days. No single infection or inclusion cyst was observed in this series.

Adipose Tissue↗

In situ split costal cartilage graft harvesting through a small incision using a gouge.

A costal cartilage graft is one of the most useful materials in reconstructive plastic surgery. In this article, a technique of in situ split costal cartilage graft harvesting through a small incision (2 to 3 cm) using a gouge is described. The technique used has many advantages: it is a simple technique, is easy to learn, and can be performed quickly through a small incision. By avoiding complete costal cartilage graft harvesting, the associated potential complications such as pleural perforation, chest wall deformities, long-lasting postoperative pain, and incisional scar length are reduced. This technique will be useful in selected cases for which a complete block of costal cartilage graft is not needed.

Cartilage↗

Prefabricated vertical myocutaneous flap of the nose in facially burned patients.

In facially burned patients, a simple and effective technique is described for reconstruction of deformities of the lower third of the nose. The first stage consists of replacing the dorsal scarred skin with a skin graft from the buttocks or other area. The second stage is a vertical columella-based prefabricated flap that is outlined beginning near the tip of the nose and extending superiorly to the glabellar region. This flap is raised with the underlying muscle as a composite tissue, transposed to the defect, and sutured to the vestibular mucous membrane or the integument of the remaining portions of the nose at the alar rim. This very well vascularized vertical prefabricated myocutaneous flap can cover a cartilage graft taken from the ear to reconstruct an alar rim. The donor site is closed by undermining the nasal skin laterally on each side and suturing the edges at the dorsum to leave an acceptable midline scar. In patients for whom a nasolabial flap or other technique is not suitable or is impossible, this new and simple technique may be used successfully.

Adult↗

Reconstructing the breast mound employing a secondary island omental skin flap.

We have shown in an initial animal study that omentum will adequately vascularize a skin flap and allow transfer of this tissue composite for use in surgical reconstruction of the breast. Based on this experimental procedure, a technique employing a two-stage operation has been developed and used in 21 female patients in reconstruction of the breast after radical mastectomy. In the first stage, the omentum, attached to one gastroepiploic artery and vein, is exteriorized to the subcutaneous tissue of the lower abdominal wall. In the second stage, the distal omentum, now vascularizing the overlying skin and soft tissue, is moved as a secondary island flap to the anterior chest wall to complete the breast reconstruction. In all but 1 of our 21 patients who have been followed for 1 to 8 years, reconstruction of large defects, including the chest wall, breast mound, and infraclavicular axillary fold depression, was performed without use of a prosthesis. In one patient, there was complete necrosis of the flap due to vascular impairment; there were three instances of delayed healing and a significant but partial loss of the flap in one patient. All complications were encountered in the first 10 patients of the series during the time the technique was being refined.

Adolescent↗

Utilization of a composite island flap employing omentum in organ reconstruction: an experimental investigation.

New methods for the reconstruction of the ear, nose, and breast using omentum to vascularize appropriate tissue composites of skin, bone, and cartilage are described. The initial investigation demonstrated that it is possible to obtain an island composite flap with omentum-costal cartilage-skin flap and preserve cartilage viability inside the omentum. The ear and nose were reconstructed in two stages. In the first stage, the appropriately carved cartilage and/or bony framework was covered with omentum and a skin graft, leaving the tissue composite buried subcutaneously. In the second stage, the newly reconstructed organ was exteriorized and diagnostic studies were done. The breast reconstruction was undertaken in two stages, first creating an omental island skin flap and subsequently either implanting a standard prosthesis under the flap or transferring the entire composite superiorly to better simulate the clinical reconstruction wherein the lower abdominal skin with omentum would be moved to the anterior chest. In each reconstruction a variety of diagnostic studies, including intravenous fluorescein dye, radioactive isotope uptake, and microangiography, were performed.

Animals↗

Secondary musculocutaneous flap: an experimental study.

In four dogs, eight secondary musculocutaneous flaps were created by the vascularization of skin flaps with transposed sartorious muscle. All skin flaps demonstrated excellent viability on clinical follow-up, with vascularity confirmed by fluorescein dye, microangiography, and histologic studies. Potential clinical uses of this method are discussed.

Animals↗

Development and utilization of a composite island flap employing omentum: experimental investigation.

In 39 pigs, four varieties of secondary island flaps were created using omentum as a carrier. This study demonstrates that: 1. Skin grafts (split- or full-thickness), when grafted to omentum, can be transformed into an "island flap," and the free transfer of this flap with microvascular anastomosis is feasible. 2. A skin flap, a combined skin flap, or both and subjacent muscle could be vascularized with omentum to obtain an omental island skin flap or an omental island musculocutaneous flap and transferred as already described. 3. Three varieties of secondary island osteocutaneous flaps were created using the omentum. Of these flaps, eight successfully underwent microvascular transfer. Bone vascularity and incontinuity viability were demonstrated by employing a variety of standard diagnostic techniques, including 99mTc-pyrophosphate tetracycline labeling, microangiography, and histologic sectioning. In addition to the many recognized advantages of a free living bone graft in reconstructive surgery, other benefits of this new kind of island composite flap include its unlimited size, minimal donor deformity, and ease of transfer. We have demonstrated that omentum can be used to vascularize skin, a skin flap, and either tibial, costal, or iliac bone graft to obtain a secondary island flap. The clinical uses of these flaps promise a new and exciting horizon in reconstructive surgery.

Animals↗